From what we can tell, the picture was posted to an event page for the Franklin County GOP. I spoke with the Franklin County Chairman, Jim Kerley, a minute ago and he says the Franklin County GOP has nothing to do with it. Jim has also asked the person responsible for posting the picture to take it down immediately. If you would like to follow up with Jim, his cell number is xxx-xxx-xxxx.

With that said, you can attribute the following quote to me.

“The Illinois Republican Party condemns violence in all forms and we ask anyone involved in creating these shirts to stop immediately.”

Drew Collins
Illinois Republican Party

* So, I called Chairman Kerley. He said he didn’t know about the t-shirt until the state party called him. “I don’t have internet out here where I live,” he said.

Kerley said he called the person responsible and found out the intention was to sell the t-shirt at the event.

“I told him to get it off and squash it,” Kerley said.

“We’re just trying to have a turkey shoot, but stuff like that is gonna hurt us more than it’s gonna gain us.”

Very commendable of the state and county GOP to nip this in the bud, but I’ll bet people show up wearing them to the event. Are they going to be asked to change? That may be a real test of the party’s stance against violence in this instance.

The comment about condemning violence on all sides is right and good. Rather than tally up which side is REALLY more violent than the other is an exercise in self-righteousness, and you could be wrong, by the way. Just let the comment stand as it is and wish it were practiced rather than just pronounced.

Why are people so mad at Madigan. He’s devoted his life to helping the lower and middle classes, never taking advantage of the power he has to benefit himself. Under his leadership the state has been elevated in stature to the point where people want to move here. He is a fine upstanding man that always puts the interests of others ahead of his own. The shirt is a travesty.

Most people don’t create and publish these designs in a vacuum. How many people agreed that this was a great promotional shirt? Didn’t anyone (with internet access) say “Hey, that is tone deaf and bad taste. NO.”? If I were the organizers I’d be more concerned with the number of people who thought the shirt was a good idea.

That’s right NO GIFTS there are places in Southern Illinois that do not have internet, some schools too and Chicago wants and gets a pension bailout and Southern Illinois public schools do not have the basics.

That’s right NO GIFTS there are places in Southern Illinois that do not have internet, some schools too and Chicago wants and gets a pension bailout and Southern Illinois public schools do not have the basics.

I hate to admit this is my home county, and I know the GOP are pretty cocky. Chairman Kerley said, “I don’t have internet out here where I live,” Hogwash. Everyone has access to the internet in some form in Franklin County. It may not be the best nor the fastest but they have it.